Repository: The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference

Retrieval Numbers: Acc: 97-14; 01-13; ID#3345

Historical Note

Rev. Samuel Crothers Murray (1857-1945) served the Presbyterian and United Churches of Canada for over fifty years. Murray was born in Westmoreland County, New Brunswick, on July 26, 1857. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University in 1881 and graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1885. Murray was ordained in Prince Edward Island in 1885. He and his wife, Jessie Ella Phiney, moved to Neepawa, Manitoba, where he served as a Presbyterian missionary until 1893. Rev. Murray was subsequently called to St. Paul’s Church in Port Arthur, Ontario. Rev. Murray was awarded an honourary Doctorate of Divinity Degree from Manitoba College (date not known). From 1911 until 1920, he served as Superintendent of Missions of the Manitoba Synod of the Presbyterian Church. In the years leading up to his retirement in 1928, Murray ministered to the Presbyterian and United congregations of High Bluff and Oakland, Manitoba. He came out of his retirement to serve Glenella, Manitoba, in 1932, and Kelwood and Riding Mountain in 1936. Rev. Murray acted as Secretary for the Portage la Prairie Presbytery until 1936. Rev. and Mrs. Murray lived on a farm in Kelwood, Manitoba, for the later part of their lives. Mrs. Murray passed away in 1929. Rev. Murray spent his final years on a farm in Olds, Alberta. He passed away on November 12, 1945.

Scope and Content

The surviving records of Rev. Samuel Crothers Murray include a manuscript entitled “Historical Sketch of the Portage la Prairie Indian School and Mission”, dating from 1886 to 1936 (as well as a photocopy of the same.)

Finding Aids

Item level inventory available.

Relevant items in this fonds related to Indian Residential Schools are included in The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference 2014 Index of IRS Related Records and were digitized for submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Contact the Archivist for more information.

Related Material in this repository

Related material: ‘The Botsford – The Life and Times of Reverend Samuel Crothers Murray 1857-1945’, published by Robert McMorris Murray, 1994; Biographical file available.

Custodial History

The records of Rev. Samuel Crothers Murray were collected by the Archives Committee of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario prior to 1986 and were accessioned in 2003. Additional records were donated in 1997 by I. Marguerite Miller on behalf of Robert McMorris Murray, and were accessioned in 1997.

Language: All of the material is in English.

Restriction on Access: No restrictions on access.

Accruals: No further accruals are expected.

United Church of Canada ArchivesManitoba Northwestern Ontario & All Native Circle Conferences